Hard questions are being raised about the Taliban in Afghanistan now that the United States will formally meet with the erstwhile al Qaeda ally .

Why is the U.S. government engaging the hard-line Islamic fundamentalist group , a regime that once sheltered Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network and was eventually routed out of Afghanistan by a U.S. invasion after the September 11 , 2001 , attacks ?

Such tough questions were unleashed shortly after the announcement about upcoming U.S.-Taliban talks during a Tuesday news conference held by State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki .

She was asked point-blank : `` In the eyes of the U.S. , is Taliban a terrorist group ? ''

Responded Psaki : `` Well , I 'm not sure how they 're defined at this particular moment . ''

To be fair , Psaki described the U.S. peace talks with the Taliban -- which Afghan President Hamid Karzai opposes -- as the preliminary step toward long healing process in war-torn Afghanistan and creating `` reconciliation '' within the country .

At their office in Doha , Taliban make changes

In the meantime , many details remain to be worked out about the Taliban , Psaki said . On Wednesday , Psaki dismissed reports that the first meeting had been scheduled for Thursday and said a date has n't been set .

`` The important thing here is that we 've long said that moving toward a reconciliation process , of which they are a key part -- the president has said this , the secretary -LRB- of state -RRB- has said this -- is an important part of moving towards a more stable Afghanistan . That 's why we support these efforts , '' Psaki said . `` That 's why we 've been so engaged , why the secretary has been so engaged , at every level of the government . ''

What has influenced U.S. leaders is the Taliban 's announcement that they oppose `` the use of Afghan soil to threaten other countries '' such as the United States and they support an Afghan peace process , Psaki said .

To advance peace , the Taliban has chosen , Doha , Qatar , to open an office under the name `` Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan . '' On Tuesday , the Taliban told reporters it wanted to improve its international relations .

The Taliban announcement has angered the Afghan president , who said the country 's High Peace Council wo n't take part in peace talks in Qatar until the process is led by Afghans .

In Kabul , Karzai met with politicians and members of the High Peace Council on Wednesday to talk about the Taliban office in Qatar .

Why Taliban would talk as U.S. withdrawal looms

In a statement , Karzai said his country wants peace , `` but the messages of continuation of fighting , which were sent out during the opening of the Taliban office in Qatar , are completely in contradiction with the peace-wanting spirit of the government of Afghanistan . ''

Karzai was referring to how , during Tuesday 's ribbon-cutting in Qatar , a Taliban spokesman said the group would continue its military campaign while at the same time renouncing international terrorism .

Seeming to make good on its military pledge , the Taliban later Tuesday claimed responsibility for the attack inside the Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan that killed four U.S. soldiers .

Karzai criticized the Taliban 's promise about military advances .

`` This shows that the continuation of such policies of the Taliban are for ... foreigners ' strategies and goals , '' Karzai 's statement said . He charged that `` foreign powers '' are behind the opening of the Taliban 's office in Qatar .

U.S. officials , however , view the Taliban office as a good start -- `` good news , '' in fact .

`` We 've long said that this conflict will likely not be won on the battlefield , and that is why we support this office , '' Psaki said .

The ability to open a formal line of communication with the Taliban is important to reaching an `` end goal '' of disassociating the Taliban from al Qaeda and bringing peace to Afghanistan , Psaki said .

Psaki asserted that the rights of women -- protected under the Afghan constitution -- are not open for negotiation with the Taliban , which has oppressed and mistreated women .

`` It 's not up for negotiation , '' Psaki said of the rights of Afghan women and minorities . `` That is the end goal of the process of reconciliation . This is a first step in the process . I 'm not overestimating or overstating what it means , but certainly , a first step is one farther step than we had just a few days ago . ''

What to know about the proposed talks

Psaki reiterated the `` beginning of the process '' theme -- even when asked whether the U.S. government now considers the Taliban `` a legitimate fighting group '' as opposed to `` enemy combatants . ''

`` Our goal in Afghanistan continues to be to disrupt , dismantle , and defeat al-Qaeda to ensure that the country can never again be a safe haven for terrorists . We 're doing both at the same time , talking and winding down our fighting in the country , '' Psaki said .

But what about the several Taliban leaders who are on a most-wanted list ? Will the United States delist them as the Taliban has sought ?

`` This is just the first step in the process . There is a journey to go here , '' Psaki said . `` So it 's significant because we are taking a step in the process , but there need to be negotiations , there need to be discussions . ''

U.S. forces in Afghanistan now stand at about 66,000 but are expected to fall to 32,000 by the end of the year , and there will be even fewer in 2014 . Gen. John Allen , the former commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan , recommended a level between 6,000 and 15,000 troops , but the Pentagon has cut the proposed figure further , to between 2,500 and 9,000 , according to a defense official .

That U.S. withdrawal raises the stakes for Afghanistan to govern itself in peace .

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Peace talks between U.S. and Taliban are `` a first step in the process '' of reconciliation

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But details remain to be worked out about the Taliban disavowing al Qaeda

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State Department spokeswoman is asked : `` Is Taliban a terrorist group ? ''

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`` Well , I 'm not sure how they 're defined at this particular moment , '' she responds